The Benefits of Journaling

a woman writing on her notebook

Writing in a journal is not just for adolescents. Journaling brings clarity to the retention of new information learned in senior positions. It allows you to process much more information over a long period of time. The more senior your job title, the more you need to keep a journal.


For example, new leaders assuming the CEO title for the first time, allowing time to learn and think translates into early successes. But the problem is there is not a lot of time to do either. Information comes more quickly, more people than ever before demand their time, and they’re told that the countless documents piled in front of them are all important.


If you are not internally promoted, there is a new culture to get used to and it’s not clear who to trust. Even when promoted from within, the pace can be jarring compared to running a division in the same company. In both cases, any new leader must manage intense exposure and unrealistic expectations.


There is nothing new leaders can do to avoid these problems completely, but there is a solution for shortening the learning curve. This is where journaling comes into play. Because we tend to make mistakes when things speed up, especially when in unfamiliar territory, it can make all the difference to find a way to slow things down. Writing in a journal does just that.


There is well founded evidence that replaying events in our brain is essential to learning. While the brain records and holds what takes place in the moment, the learning from what one has gone through happens after the fact during periods of quiet reflection. Also, when we slow things down and reflect, we can be more creative about solving seemingly enigmatic problems. A journal is a simple, effective, and private way to reflect on information and learn from it. Thus, helping retain new information and solve issues.


While personality, style, and situation cause different approaches, some find these guideline as useful proven techniques. Notes should be made as soon as possible after an event. Waiting more than 24 hours seems to sacrifice specificity about details that made the most difference. Title each entry using the highlight of the essential event. Then, list the reason for that outcome. Ask yourself why and how. Why did you get these results; how did you come to this conclusion. This will help pull back the layers and get you thinking in a way that allows for new ideas and possibly a different approach. Lastly, identify what you can learn from the whole experience and what you can do differently for a better outcome next time.